The Whiskers Chronicles: The Caring and Courageous
Co-written with Meerkats123, before we begin our tale... Overview: After leaving the Rainbows mob, Mozart was on her own for quite sometime. She had been collared and was being tracked as a lone meerkat until, one day, she wasn't. Mozart had bumped into an old face from the past...it was a meerkat that everyone had thought dead. Shakespeare. The two siblings were in the company of a teenage female whose origins were not linked to the former Whiskers male. To the surprise of the KMP researchers, Mozart soon became pregnant and has recently given birth to three female pups. So far the group has yet been named, but they are being tracked. Group Status - 6 (Two adults, one young adult, and three pups) Mozart: dominant female Shakespeare: acting dominant male Fionnuala: a teenage female who had been accompany Shakespeare when he reunited with his sister. Pups (all female): Nuala (oldest), BóAnn (middle), and Fenella (youngest). Chapter One: Sister Wife It is early morning at the burrow and Mozart was already up and feeding her three pups. Beside her was young female, Fionnuala. Shakespeare was close by, keeping guard just like he used to do when they were in the Whiskers. Mozart is glad that he is here, for she and Shakespeare has always been close. When the pups have finished nursing, Shakespeare and Mozart reluctantly leave them behind in the care of Fionnuala. She is young and impatient, a classic teenager, but the two adults have no choice. Mozart needs to find the food that will keep her producing milk and Shakespeare must keep her safe. So far Fionnuala has done a decent job of watching the three little girls. With their parents gone (for recent DNA tests have confirmed that Shakespeare was the father of the pups), the three sisters must entertain themselves while being good. To the relief of their sitter, Nuala decides that she would very much like to explore the burrow. Wherever she goes, BóAnn and Fenella follow. Fionnuala just needs to focus on keeping watch and keeping awake. In the field, Mozart and Shakespeare are keeping close to sheltered areas, taking open spaces at a quick burst of speed. If one or both were lost, then Fionnuala and the pups were doomed. Thus, Shakespeare is keeping a close eye on the skies and area around them, occasionally dropping down for a quick bite to eat. Mozart is also feeling the pressure, but for a different reason. They are not a group, not yet, and thus are unable to claim and hold a territory. This means a severe lack of bolt holes, burrows, and foraging patches. Shakespeare and Mozart are forced to travel further, as is Fionnuala who often leaves to find food when Mozart returns to tend the pups. Their problems may be stacking up, but the tiny family is luckier than most. They currently have no neighbors to steal their land and threaten their pups. That’s indeed a blessing, but what is now their greatest threat comes from themselves. Mozart and Shakespeare are brother and sister and were born in the same litter on top of that. It’s nothing short of a miracle that they have even produced one healthy healthy litter. Inbreeding could create problems and unwanted mutations in future pups. Both of them are fighting an urge to seek out an unrelated partner for the good of the pups. Back at the burrow, Fionnuala is bored. She has been the babysitter for the pups ever since they were born, but time has not softened her impatience. If anything, it only made her more eager to get out and about. At the moment, she could do with a snack. Shakespeare often brings her a treat every now and then, usually something small like a skink or gecko or even a beetle grub. At midday, Mozart and Shakespeare both come back. Mozart goes down to fetch the girls while Shakespeare approaches Fionnuala with a treat. A juicy scorpion with its stinger bitten off. Still alive and able to put up a fight, but the outcome is inevitable. Nuala and Fenella help themselves to mother's milk, but BóAnn seems more interested in what Fionnuala has. At this age their diet consists of milk mostly, but they can start trying out solid foods. Problem is, hungry babysitters aren’t very good at sharing when they’ve pretty much been on duty constantly with limited feeding time. All three pups will have to settle for mom’s milk rations for now. Mozart knows that keeping her litter at home is taking a toll on the entire group, even if it is just six of them. She decides that tomorrow will be the big day. They will all go foraging together. Shakespeare seems to read her mind, for he goes off and grooms his littermate. In turn Mozart grooms Fionnuala. The pups finish their meal and are groomed by all three grown ups until it is time for bed. 000 The next day is cloudy and slightly cool, there is a chance for rain, but the group of six are already up. Mozart is tending to the pups, Shakespeare is keeping watch, and Fionnuala is standing with fluffed up fur, trying to get warm. The delay can only last for so long, they have to take the plunge. Whether they return to this burrow is questionable. The next burrow is not just around the bend, not like it did in the Whiskers' old territory. Today will have to have multiple purposes then. Even if they return to this same densite in the end, mapping out your territory is critical for any meerkat (regardless of status). Mozart leads the way, the three pups hard on her paws, Shakespeare and Fionnuala bring up the rear. The family moves as a quick pace, stopping occasionally in order to look out for danger, obstacles, or maybe something that could be used as a landmark or for meerkat purposes. So far, nothing more than a fallen tree trunk that the cadets need help scaling. Of course the youngest of the adults would not bother to help, but Shakespeare and Mozart are there to give their little girls a boost, in this case, being lifted up and over by mouth. They reach the site and proceed with the lessons. Nuala and her sisters get to try out their begging calls, but it kind of stinks when the only adults are two parents and one teen who seems to have selective hearing. After being ignored for about the fiftieth time, BoAnn decides to stop asking nicely. She waits and watches, then darts it and swipes Fionnuala's food right out from under her nose. Nuala and Fenella watch the little scene in awe, but neither feel inclined to follow the example. Not yet anyway. Mozart is doing a good job at bringing food for her babies, but at times she must be firm. If she does not eat enough, then Mozart will not be able to provide milk. Also she needs food to keep up her own strength...she never forgot the times when she had went to bed hungry. While his family forages, Shakespeare is on guard. But he is becoming worried by the sight of dark gray clouds on the distant horizon. He can smell rain on the wind and hear the faint rumbles of thunder. It may pass them by, but one could never tell for sure. As midday approaches, Mozart stops to examine the skies as well. Wary of the weather, she decides to lead the group to the nearest burrow. It’s not the pups’ familiar home, but she knows her girls probably aren’t ready to take on a full day of foraging a she knows how awful it is to get stuck out in the rain by yourself. It can’t be any easier with a small gang of young meerkats to manage. Mozart, Shakespeare and Fionnuala are old enough to know that the storm poses no real threat and watch it roll in. The pups, however find the thunder and lightning to be extremely terrifying and huddle together in their new digs. The tiny family wait and wait...but the storm shows no sign of stopping. They will be staying the night in this den. Chapter Two: Oops I did It Again The next day is bright and sunny, the land coated with the aftermath of the prior rainstorm. Shakespeare is up first, looking around before he moves off. Not leaving, but he begins to frantically sent-mark the area surrounding the burrow. The rest of his family soon appear and either warm up or try to do a little house cleaning. The three pups are more interested in playing. Three weeks have passed since Mozart gave birth and she was now ready to mate again. The last time she had mated with her brother, but this is not really a wise decision. But no other meerkats have came around, so Mozart really has no choice. The group needs to have more pups, more members, in order to survive.'' '' Fionnuala could be a possible solution and Shakespeare has been showing quite a bit of interest in the often moody female. But Mozart could get lucky, for a stranger has just been sighted entering their part of the desert. Time to find food, the Hoax assume their marching order and off they go. Shakespeare takes guard first, but does not notice the stranger on the horizon. It is a meerkat. A male. And he is looking for love and opportunity. If he could mate with Mozart and depose Shakespeare, this male would be dominant male and have full mating rights. Shakespeare is no pushover, but he does have options to weigh if push comes to shove. It would be in his long term best interests to leave his sister’s group without a fight, as he’s still in his prime and he needs a healthy partner to start one of his own bloodline. After all, the average dominant male only reigns for three years . His father, Zaphod was very lucky to have much more. On the other hand, he has his current pups to consider on the short term. But, he has unknowingly allowed Mozart to sneak away with the mysterious male. Mozart must take advantage of a chance to mate with an unrelated stranger to insure future success in her group, but does she see him as a permanent match? The decision does not rest with her brother initially. If she doesn’t find this stranger suitable for the group. She’ll part ways with him after mating. If she does, she will allow him to follow her back, but he’ll face a one on one battle with Shakespeare for the right to stay if he puts up a fight. Fionnuala ends up being the straw that breaks the camel's back. She has spotted the lovers and approaches them. Shakespeare is nice, but any subordinate female is drawn to the prospect of an unknown stranger (unless he proves to be related to her in some way, by which scent rather than sight will prove). Mozart eyes her warily and growls a warning, but Fionnuala ignores her. The male does not seem to mind that he may be fought over, but Shakespeare has noticed and runs over. In the heat of the moment, nobody stops to think about the three pups. Being the obedient child, Fenella moves in the direction that Shakespeare and Fionnuala had gone. Nuala goes in the opposite direction and Bo is left in the middle. Torn between her two sisters.